Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Psychological Science

Program

Psychological Science (MS)

First Advisor/Chairperson

Dr. Adam Prus

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and often serious disorder that can impair a person’s ability to function and live a normal life. The current first line treatments for OCD are serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or a combination of these treatments. Despite medical advancements, current treatments are not effective for a large percentage (~33%) of people and often have a delayed onset of 8 to 12 weeks. The inability to effectively help those who suffer from OCD has led researchers to investigate novel therapeutic drugs, like ketamine, for treatment. The current study examined the effects of R/S-ketamine, S-ketamine, R-ketamine and (2R, 6R)-Hydroxynorketamine ((2R, 6R)-HNK) using the marble burying test, a model to assess anti-compulsive effects of drugs, and the novel suppressed feeding test, a model to assess the antidepressant-like effects of drugs. Further, tests were conducted 0.5 and 72 hours after administration to assess the short-acting and potentially long-lasting effects of these compounds. The current study found that S-ketamine decreased marble burying 0.5 hours after administration at both 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg doses in the MBT. R-ketamine also created significant decreases in marble burying at a 10 mg/kg dose 0.5 hours after administration. In the NSFT, a 10 mg/kg dose of R-ketamine produced a significant reduction in latency to feed in ANOVA analyses but not in Kaplan-Meier survival curve analyses. Our results suggest that both S-ketamine and R-ketamine may function as rapid but short lasting anti-compulsive compounds.

Access Type

NMU Users Only

Justification for Restricting Access

I would like to place an embargo on this research to allow time for my lab to publish our findings before they become public.

Additional Files
Joseph Walstrom.pdf (31 kB)
Signed signature page
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Available for download on Tuesday, April 01, 2031

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